INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — What was billed as a simple informational presentation by Florida Power and Light employees about upcoming deployment of smart electric meters in Indian River County turned into a confrontation with residents who showed up at today’s county commission meeting to protest the new technology.
Commissioners raised questions about the safety and invasiveness of the meters as well.
“I don’t have any way of knowing for sure, but I assume some people are affected by the radio waves [from smart meter transmitters],” said Commission Chairman Gary Wheeler. “There are so many things in life we don’t know the side effects of. I think all of us up here are uncomfortable about something we don’t know that much about.”
According to FPL External Affairs Manager Amy Brunjes, smart meters are wonderful devices that will modernize the electric grid and help keep utility costs low. She said they would provide quicker notification of power outages and more accurate billing and allow customers to better monitor their own electric usage by logging onto Internet “dashboards” showing household power consumption by day and hour.
But a parade of residents waving white papers took the podium to say the meters, which eliminate need for onsite meter reading by transmitting usage information to FPL, produce dangerous electromagnetic pulses and pose a danger to personal privacy.
Brunjes and her colleague Blanca Perez said the smart meters contain a chip that could be activated to record power usage of individual appliances but said the chip would not be turned on immediately and would be optional when activated on the grid.
Despite that reassurance, residents and commissioners expressed fears about having their personal behavior within their home monitored by the utility.
“They will know when you are taking a shower, or pushing down your toaster or opening your garage door,” said one elderly speaker. “It is just another way to control us.”
“You say the chip will be optional, but who knows down the line someone in the government may say it is required,” said Commissioner Bob Solari.
There was some dueling science as the FPL representatives played a video of a public health researcher saying smart meters emit very little energy and pose no risk only to be countered by residents who cited other scientific authorities who say the devices are harmful to human health.
“We have a right not to be irradiated in our own homes,” said one speaker.
Commissioners Wesley Davis and Peter O’Bryan said most concerns could be overcome by allowing people who object to smart meters to opt out of the new technology and keep their old meters.
Brunjes said FPL is not forcing the meters on anyone at present.
“We are putting installation on hold when people object and trying to work through their concerns,” she said. But she admitted there is no actual opt out procedure.
Commissioners mentioned the possibility of a resolution requesting more information from FPL before installation goes forward and asked County Attorney Alan Polackwich if the county has power to stop smart meters from being installed.
“FPL operates in the county under a franchise agreement,” Polackwich said. “We will have to look at that agreement to see what recourse we have.”
